Remembering God's Promises

 Remembering the Promise to David

 Book of Psalms: Psalm 132

 This is another Psalm that was sung as the Israelites traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast’s days as commanded by God.

They had begun to remember the promises of God and it brought joy to them just as it does to each of us.

 If we take a look into David's past, we will see all the pains, the trouble, and anxiety he underwent in his lifetime for the cause of God, especially in the establishing a sanctuary in Jerusalem and making preparation for the building of the Temple.

 David was building God's special dwelling place on this Earth, a place where God would meet with His people.

 If you do not have a longing to meet with God, then you cannot be a Christian!

 You cannot be a Christian because the Holy Spirit will not come to live within you!

 Every Christian is a sanctuary for God to dwell in!

 If we look at the very first word of this Psalm, we see the word LORD, this is the Almighty God Himself, Jehovah.

 David had accomplished what no lowly shepherd could accomplish.

David rose from a lowly shepherd to become King of Israel.

 Except we do know of another man who was a shepherd who came to save His people, and His name is Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.

 We know that special days are set aside to honor special people and some of the heroes of our nation.

 In fact, almost every nation has set days to remember their national heroes.

 For the Israelites, David was a hero and in fact, David is still honored as one of the Jews greatest heroes.

 The Star of David is the national flag of Israel today.

 The "Sling of David" is the name of one of the air defense systems of Israel.

 This Psalm was probably written for the dedication of the Temple built by Solomon.

 We know that David had spent many years gathering the wealth to build a magnificent Home for God, when He would come to visit this planet, but we know that God is everywhere, and He even abides in every "Born Again" child of God.

 He lives in every person who has their name written down in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

 Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

 David was now dead and gone, we know He is with the Lord, but the Jews had a great fondness for King David.

 By remembering the hardships David faced before he was made king, it inspired the Jews to face their own hardships!

 It has never been easy to live in this world since the sin of Adam, and it is not always easy to be a Christian.

 We do still live in a cursed world!

 The word cursed is used seventy-two times in the Bible.

 We know that the Serpent who was Satan is cursed:

 Gen_3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

 Gen_3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

 If you look up the word cursed in the Bible, you will see that many of our leaders of today are cursed by their actions.

 Deu_27:25  Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.

 We know we have been sold out by our leaders for riches, they will never spend.

 We know that every doctor who is paid to end the life of an innocent baby is also cursed.

 God has also placed a curse on all those who reject any part of the Scriptures:

 Deu_27:26  Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

 And to all those so-called churches that have left the truth of the Bible, God says:

 Jer_11:3  And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

Jer_17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

 God is very serious about the words He has given us to live by.

 Let's begin.

 *****Psa 132:1  A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions: 

Psa 132:2  How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; 

Psa 132:3  Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; 

Psa 132:4  I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, 

Psa 132:5  Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

 The Psalmist who wrote this Psalm reminded the Lord how David was devoted to Him.

 We all say these things such as, “Lord remember me”.

 The truth is that God only forgets when He decides to forget.

His memory is perfect!

 He has forgotten our sins, and it is He that said we are covered by the blood of Jesus that has washed away our sins.

 Rev_1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

 We know that King David had made a vow to find a place for the Almighty God to dwell in Jerusalem.

 David was determined that He was going to build a House for God for God to dwell in Jerusalem.

 This was David's vow.

 David had endured much suffering at the hands of Saul.

David had endured much suffering in finding a neutral place to worship God.

David had not yet taken Jerusalem from the Jebusites so, this too had to be done.

David had to transport the "Ark of the Congregation “ to this new House of God, but it was not in his hands at this time.

David had to also defend Jerusalem from the attacks of the Philistines two times, while all these other things were going on.

 These things may have hindered David in completing his vow to God, but it did not stop Him.

 In fact, David said; I'm not going to rest until I build a House for the Lord.

 David said it was not right that he was living in a beautiful palace and worshiping God in a tent.

 We can see that David's devotion to God provides a worthy example for us to follow.

 Many missionaries today have this same vision as David, to build a house for the worship of our God.

 I believe Nathan had this vision and I believe Scott David had this vision.

 These were church planters as David wanted to be.

 *****Psa 132:6  Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. 

Psa 132:7  We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. 

Psa 132:8  Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. 

Psa 132:9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. 

Psa 132:10  For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. 

 Though this Scripture is hard to understand, what we do know is that David found the Ark of the Covenant and moved it to Jerusalem where it would remain until 70 AD when Titus destroyed Jerusalem.

 At this time nobody really knows the whereabouts of the Ark!

 These people recalled the passion of David to obtain the Ark and bring it to Jerusalem where he intended to build a House for God.

 The Ark had been gone so long that many people had forgotten about it.

It was David who had to remind the people:

 1Ch 13:2  And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: 

1Ch 13:3  And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. 

1Ch 13:4  And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. 

 The people thought the Ark was in Ephratah, but Bethlehem and Kirjath-Jearim were both known as Bethlehem at this time.

 There is the city of Bethlehem but there is also the region which was called Bethlehem.

It was Bethlehem Ephratah that provided the sheep for the Temple.

 Rth 4:11  And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

 Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 

 Kirjath-Jearim would be the place that was in the woods!

 We know that David failed the in his first attempt to retrieve the Ark, but he succeeded when He retrieved it according to the Word of God.

 We will always fail if we do not do things according to the proven ways of God!

 It is easy to see how this Scripture can be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 If King David did not have the zeal for the Lord that he had, we do not know if anyone would have remembered the Ark of God.

 David challenged the people to get back to the worship of Jehovah God.

 David referred to the Ark as the Lord's footstool.

 1Ch 28:2  Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: 

1Ch 28:3  But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. 

 Psa 99:5  Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. 

 The world knows nothing about the Holiness of God and many in the Church have also.

 Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

 David built a tent for the Ark of the Covenant, but he must have also built a place where the people could gather to worship though many of them and the priests still went to the Tabernacle that was in Gibeon, but did not have the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy Place.

 The reality of these things is that God will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem.

 1) The Ark is not only a symbol of God's presence, but it is also a symbol of God's power!

 2) The priests that serve the Lord will be godly servants and agents of righteousness!

 3) The saints of God will be a happy people.

 4) God would not reject David's anointed successor. Solomon would be the next king, but these things also make reference to God's truly anointed which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Today we worship together in a building set up for worship.

 It is the people that are the Church.

 The building or the place that we worship is just that, a building or a place.

 We should never defile our bodies with the sins of the flesh.

We must obey the commands of God which say we are to separate ourselves from all unrighteousness and ungodliness.

 2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

 Today, God is still searching for people like David who love to worship Him.

 Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

 We must be wholly devoted to the Lord!

 Next we will see some of the promises made to David.

 *****Psa 132:11  The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. 

Psa 132:12  If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

 There is no greater promise of the Lord Jesus Christ than this.

 This verse points to the Messiah and His Kingdom!

 Psa 89:3  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 

Psa 89:4  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. 

 Psa 89:35  Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

 2Sa 7:28  And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 

2Sa 7:29  Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever. 

 The thing we know is true is, that a descendant of David will occupy the throne in Jerusalem.

 That throne is the government, and that government will be located in Jerusalem and the Messiah will rule the world from Jerusalem.

 There were some conditions to be met for each descendant of David.

 We should clearly understand that our unfaithfulness cannot defeat God's purpose and neither could those sons of David who rejected the truth of God.

 We know that God will keep His oaths, and He expects us to keep ours!

 It is Jehovah God who chose Jerusalem when He could have chosen anywhere.

 King Jesus will rule from Jerusalem.

 *****Psa 132:13  For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. 

Psa 132:14  This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. 

 We know that some of the descendants of David turned from God and He had to discipline them.

 The Israelites would be singing this Psalm as they traveled toward Jerusalem.

 We know for a time there was no son of David sitting on the throne in Jerusalem, the fulfillment of the promises had been interrupted and it will stay that way until King Jesus takes control of the governments that remain in this world from Jerusalem.

 God's promise will be fulfilled, and the world is moving toward that moment when the Messiah will return.

 The promise will be fulfilled in two stages:

 1) Jesus Christ returns and rules the entire earth from Jerusalem for one thousand years.

 Jer 3:17  At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. 

 2) When Christ Jesus takes us to New Jerusalem and reigns from there forever and ever.

 Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 

Rev 22:4  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

 God promises to provide abundantly for those who are now His people.

 *****Psa 132:15  I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 

Psa 132:16  I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 

 I believe this speaks of the point when the Jews will join the Church.

 God will provide any and all needs to His children.

 The poor will not lack food and necessities as they had on Earth. These are material needs.

 Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

 Then God will supply their Spiritual needs.

 In verse nine we see that it was a prayer that asked the Lord for the priests be clothed in righteousness.

 Psa 132:9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. 

 We see in verse sixteen that God has answered that prayer.

 I still believe that this is the Jews as they have now joined the Church, and all the saints will shout with joy for the Church is now complete and the Bride of Christ can join with the Bridegroom.

 *****Psa 132:17  There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. 

Psa 132:18  His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. 

The Lord promised to make the horn of David to sprout.

To sprout means to bud to spring forth and grow.

The “horn” is a symbol of power.

This phrase means that a powerful ruler will come forth from the line of David and this ruler will fulfill all the promises made to David.

He will be a lamp or a light to all the world!

The “lamp” and that “horn” mean the Messiah.

1) Zec 6:13  Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 

2) Jer 33:15  In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 

3) Isa 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 

Zacharias the father of John the Baptist said: 

Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. 

Luk 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

We know what is going on in Israel today is turbulent times for them.

We need to remember these promises of God to David, and they will be fulfilled.

As far as the Church, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem which will take place at the return of Jesus Christ.

We know that the conclusion of God's plan may be nearing its end, and we will live forever in the presence of the Mighty God!

All evilness and wickedness will be gone, and we will finally be at peace on New Earth and the New Jerusalem. 

Amen

Going to the House of God

 Coming to the House of the Lord

 Book of Psalms 122 Verses 1-9

 Up until October 7, 2023, when Israel's war began, millions of people traveled to Israel, most of them were Christians.

 Some few go now but not many.

 Most Christians are headed to Jerusalem because everyone knows Jerusalem is special.

 Some people say "It just feels like home" even though they had never been there before.

 We know that our Messiah walked all over Israel, but He was crucified at Jerusalem.

 As Christians, we know that our spiritual roots extend to Jerusalem!

 We will spend a thousand years in Jerusalem serving the Lord, but we will spend eternity in New Jerusalem.

 The redeemed of all the ages who will walk through those pearly gates of New Jerusalem to bask in the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 One day that trumpet will sound, and we will hear and heed the call to worship in God's true House.

 Let us listen to these clear instructions to all believers.

 *****Psa 122:1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

 We know that David rejoiced to go to the house of the Lord!

 There was no Temple yet in Jerusalem, but David had built a Tabernacle in which the Ark of the Covenant was placed.

 2Sa_6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

 David was a man after God's own heart.

 David loved to be in the presence of God.

 We know the Lord had chosen to put His name in Jerusalem many years before this.

 Deu 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:

 Every Christian should have a great desire to go to the House of God and even go more often because of the things we see today going on in Israel.

 Israel is God's timepiece!

 So, let us see if this phrase could have another meaning.

 It could be describing to us the restoration of Israel when the Lord returns to restore this Earth as it was in the day of Adam.

 Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

 The phrase “that day” points toward the future.

 In fact, it is probably referring to the time when the Lord Jesus will restore Israel as it was in the days of King David.

 This means all the land God gave to Abraham.

 So let us see which way the Scriptures go.

 The Israelite men had to go to the Temple three times a year according to the Law of Moses.

 For believers today, we should be in God's House every time the doors are open to Praise our Savior!

 We should know how to act in God's House!

 1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

 We should go to God's House often and know that it is a command of God.

 Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 Those who do not go to God's House often are sinning against the Word of God!

 We ought to rejoice when the appointed time comes to go to God's House.

 The Jewish feasts were special times, the highlights of the year and they celebrated the opportunity to go to God's House.

 I live in the Bible Belt and when I meet people on the street and ask them about Church most of them will claim to be saved, but they do not attend church regularly.

 Many others go to church, but it seems to be a dreadful duty to them. They just as well stay home!

 It should be a joyous occasion every time we go and hear what God has to say!

 We must make being at church to be joyful, but it cannot be that way unless we love the Lord.

 He is always at church to worship with us and even the Holy Spirit is always there because He lives within us.

 Heb_13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 God has a purpose for everything He does.

 What was God's purpose for the founding of Jerusalem?

 *****Psa 122:2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

Psa 122:3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

Psa 122:4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

Psa 122:5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

 ***The most important reason for going to Jerusalem was the fact that God had chosen Jerusalem as the place where He would establish His name!

 Deu 12:5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

Deu 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

Deu 12:7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

 Psa 87:2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Psa 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

 Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

 There should be no doubt that God loves Jerusalem!

 We can also understand that Jerusalem is a picture of the New Jerusalem, but we will not know the full picture of this until the Lord Jesus sits on the throne of David in Jerusalem.

 We could also say until the Lord Jesus sits upon the throne of David to rule this world.

 God will dwell among His people in the New Jerusalem!

 Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 ***There is a second reason:

 Jerusalem had strong, closely guarded walls.

 Jerusalem was a secure city.

 2Sa 5:9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

 Most people felt safe when they were inside the walls of Jerusalem.

 ***There is yet a third reason.

 The walls of Jerusalem were solid walls.

 Jerusalem was without a doubt the City of God!

 Psa 48:8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.

 This same God Jehovah is the same God today, still full of power and majesty.

 Psa 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

 When the gates of the city came into view of God's children, they knew they were almost home!

 Israel was a nation of tribes, and they were all essentially one family. Their leaders were each the sons of Jacob who became Israel. They may have forgotten that for a while, but they are bound to remember when it becomes time to choose the world or time to choose God's family.

 ***There is a fourth reason.

 As a nation of tribes who had a common ancestor, then they needed a place to gather in the name of God.

 Each tribe may operate independently but they could come together in unity because they all had the same God!

When they gathered together for the feast to give thanks to the Lord they obeyed the testimony of Israel, the laws that God had given to them.

 Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)

Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD. 

 There is a great feeling of relief that comes from knowing that you have been obedient to the Almighty Living God.

 Jerusalem was the appointed worship center where they came in unity.

 God ordained this physical location on our planet for Israel to gather to worship Him.

 The world may refuse to acknowledge this, but it does not make it any less true.

 Anyone, anyone who tries to alter this ordination of God deserves the punishment that God will place on them!

 ***A fifth reason also comes to us.

 Jerusalem was also Israel's political center, much like Washington DC is the political center of the United States of America.

 We could say the United Tribes of Israel, and this is who they are when they are obedient to God!

 In Jerusalem was the location of the Throne of Judgment.

 One of the King's most important duties was to render judgment and execute justice.

 The thrones of the house of David would extend until it will be the Lord Jesus Christ, King Jesus, who will sit upon that throne in Jerusalem.

 2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

 2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

 The Jerusalem of old is a picture of New Jerusalem to come in many ways.

 When the Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord Jesus showed him the New Jerusalem.

 John reported what he saw.

 Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 God's people will rejoice in New Jerusalem, and all the painful things of this life will have passed away.

 Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

 This new city will be full of God's Glory.

 Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

 We will all be secure within the walls of New Jerusalem.

 Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 All God's people from every nation and every tribe will come together in New Jerusalem.

 Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

 We see that God has a plan and those who are against Him cannot stop it!

 The greatest privilege after salvation is the privilege to stand in God's House in New Jerusalem!

 There will be a gathering of family members who have gone on before us and those who will come after us.

The Word of God will be exalted because we will understand the things that God has done.

We will praise God like never before because we will truly have the mind of Christ.

We will understand that we are safe and secure throughout all eternity.

 Today, especially because of what we see and what we know, we need to pray earnestly for the peace of Jerusalem.

 *****Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

Psa 122:7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

Psa 122:8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

Psa 122:9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

 If you are a Christian, you will love Jerusalem.

If you are a Christian, you will be on the side of Israel.

If you are a Christian, you will pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel.

 To the Eastern part of the world, Jerusalem is called the Holy City and it is.

 The Apostle Matthew used this phrase in Scripture and so did the Apostle John.

 Mat_4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

 Rev_21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 Nehemiah, Isaiah, and Daniel used this phrase in the Old Testament all speaking of the same Jerusalem.

 Shalom is living happy, untroubled, with a sense of fulfillment.

 Shalom and its related words are among the most important theological words in the Old Testament.

 Jerusalem has not seen peace throughout the Bible.

 The closest this city of God came to peace was in the time of King David, but Jerusalem will finally see peace in the time of King Jesus.

 David prayed for peace in Jerusalem asking for peace inside the walls of his city.

 David was praying that God would bless the leaders of Israel and would protect them from the wickedness of this world.

 How many of us pray such prayers?

 David prayed for the peace of Jerusalem for the sake of his family friends and those of all of Israel.

 We should remember that King David was responsible for the peace of Jerusalem in his day.

 It is one thing to look out for your own self and that of your family, but it takes a lot more to look out for each individual in an entire city.

 David next prayed for peace in God's House.

 If we consider all denominations to be the Church today, we can certainly see that there is no peace in God's House.

 We may brag about the church that we attend, but the truth is many denominations are throwing the Bible away and listening to what the world has to say rather than what God has to say.

 The Pope the leader of the Catholic Church is one way today and another way tomorrow.

 The Wesleyans have thrown out the truth of the Gospel.

 The Methodists have forgotten the methods of truth.

 The Protestant church has forgotten about those who protested for the truth.

 The Southern Baptists have left the truth for lies.

 We could go on and on, but the truth is God's House is not at peace and the church is no longer holding back the evilness and the wickedness in this world.

 We know that Israel is at war, so we surely know we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel as the world turns its back on reality.

 The fact remains there will be no peace in Jerusalem until the return of Christ!

There will be no peace in the Church until the Lord Jesus returns to separate the wheat from the tares!

There will be no peace in this world until King Jesus speaks with that sword in His mouth and brings an end to the time of Satan!

 Today the Temple of Jerusalem lies in ruins part of it under the Muslim Dome of the Rock.

 The Jews have to pray at what is called the Wailing Wall most of them have never been able to even go upon the Temple Mount.

 Even so-called Christian sects in Jerusalem haggle over shrines and the Arabs and Jews are at each other's throats.

 The world refuses to recognize that land belongs to the Jews because God gave it to them and God is going to give it back to them.

 Those nations that surround God's people trying to rid this world of them will find that the shoe is on the other foot at the appearance of King Jesus.

 The fact is that the Arab nations will almost destroy this world just to annihilate all the Jews, but King Jesus will settle this issue forever before this happens.

 We can be with Him, or we can burn in Hell with all other unbelievers.

 I choose the Lord!

 Amen

Have We Given God the Praise He Deserves

 The Lord Our Help and Our Shield

 Book of Psalms 115

 We have just witnessed nature's power, and those folks in Florida have seen much more of nature's power than we have seen.

 No doubt many will blame God, and most others will question God's love and concern for people.

 Some will sneer at the mention of the existence of God.

 When many of our brothers and sisters are affected, the unbelievers will mock our faith.

 We know our God is righteous so everything He does was the right thing to do.

 Did God send these Hurricanes, my answer would be no.

 Could God have stopped these mighty storms from causing devastation then certainly my answer is yes.

 We know that Satan has some powers even over storms just read the Book of Job where a tornado or something similar causes all of Job's children to die at the same time. There were ten of them.

 When tragedy strikes, our first response should not be "Where is God"!

 Today's lesson will teach us that God is great in His moral excellence.

 "Mercy and truth" are the foundation of moral greatness!

 This was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Jhn_1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

 A man may be capable of making some laws for people to live by, but most of them are seldom based upon righteousness.

 Grace and truth came from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The question we should ask when tragedy comes is, how have we treated our Savior?

 Have we given Him the glory that He deserves?

 *****Psa 115:1  Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. 

 Our faith must be based upon the truth or reality.

 Without love, we will live in a world of selfishness which we see today.

 Selfishness is the essence of sin!

 Selfishness is contrary to the law of God!

 The reality is that we have no right to question God for any action He might take!

 We can ask the Lord any question, but we will not always be pleased with His answers.

 We must not show any lack of faith when we are talking to the Lord our God!

 If the Lord does not interfere on behalf of His people, we must not think that His attributes of love and faithfulness have vanished.

 No matter what is happening in our world, we must give God the glory!

 Here in Anderson during the last storm, five deaths were storm related.

 We must not condemn God for those deaths, we must give God the glory that there were no more than five deaths here where we live.

 When Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar, we can be sure that many unbelievers were mocking God, but the truth is that God was using the Babylonians to discipline Israel.

 Israel had turned to idols but after the conquest by the Babylonians, Israel never turned to idols again.

 Sometimes God's methods may seem harsh, but they are effective. Harsh does not ever mean abuse!

 As God's people, we will suffer through trials and tribulations, and unbelievers will mock us, but we must never retreat from our goal of serving the Lord until we get to Heaven.

 Why should anyone question our loyalty to God?

 We must always do our very best to look like Jesus Christ!

 *****Psa 115:2  Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? 

Psa 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. 

 When we go about our daily routine looking defeated our enemies will ask us, "Where is your God now, when you need Him so desperately?

 If we look back at the Jews, we know that they had endured the taunts of the idolatrous nations.

 We do not have to go that far today as our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are blasphemed today.

 On that day, the heathen had scoffed at the invisible God.

 Keep in mind those who scoffed had to go home and wipe the dust off of some idol who could not even talk to them.

 When the Jews returned to Jerusalem, they made a strong confession of their faith and even though they were far from perfect they were not called idol worshipers again.

 Though they struggled to put their lives back together they knew to go to God and not go to man.

 We have seen over and over again that when we pray, we need to tell God what we are going through.

 Yes, He already knows, but He wants us to understand that that is nothing too hard for God!

 They happily proclaimed the superiority of the Living God to all who had ears!

 When we are true to the Lord, He will be true to us!

 It angers the Lord for His name to be blasphemed, and He will show His power by His people much of the time.

 If God does not help His children, then Satan and his children will triumph!

 Where is God? He is in the Heavens in a place where He can see all His people.

 The truth is God does as He pleases all the time.

 There is never a time that Jehovah God is wondering what He is going to do next!

 Our dearly loved Savior always, ALWAYS wants to help us through this life and He has already prepared for our future non-ending life in Glory.

 God not only has the will to help those who love Him, He also has the power to make sure what He does is done right!

 Mic 7:10  Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. 

 Another thing we must understand is that, if we are suffering then it is the will of God and He has a good reason for that suffering.

 In most cases it is to bring us closer to Him!

 God never lacks the power to end our suffering.

 Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 There are no gods who can hinder the work of God!

 False gods are either a figment of their imagination or they are pieces of wood, gold, silver, or some other handmade object that can do nothing.

 *****Psa 115:4  Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 

Psa 115:5  They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: 

Psa 115:6  They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: 

Psa 115:7  They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. 

Psa 115:8  They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. 

 Anyone who comes to us questioning our God, we should ask them about their god!

 People may scoff, which is mockery and ridicule, at Jehovah who we worship but the fact remains that He is alive, but He is invisible.

 He is invisible for the reason that if He had shown Himself without His glory people would have made an idol of Him and they would have worshipped that idol instead of the invisible God just as people did the pole with a serpent of brass.

 Num 21:6  And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 

Num 21:7  Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 

Num 21:8  And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 

Num 21:9  And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. 

 What happened?

 This brazen serpent known as Nehushtan, became on object of idolatry and King Hezakiah destroyed it.

 2Ki 18:4  He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

 This brazen serpent upon a pole had a reality as a type of the Lord Jesus upon the cross, when He died for our salvation.

 Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

 Idols cannot speak, see. hear, smell, feel, or walk.

 Yet even today some people still worship idols.

 Psa 135:18  They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them. 

 An idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.

 Many today have made themselves to be idols such as so-called movie stars, or some sports figures, and yes, some political figures think they should be worshipped, and we certainly cannot leave out those who worship Satan.

 Then there is the idol of money/material things:

 We already know what God says about this.

 1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 

1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 Money is the root of all the evil of today. Most all our politicians are bought out in one way or another.

 Other modern idols include, status, physical appearance, entertainment, influence, and yes sex has become an idol which is why abortion is fought so hard along with the LBGTQ is prevalent in our nation and now sex change.

 These are all idols that are worshipped by the “now” generation and God is tossed aside as irrelevant in today's world.

 All these people are in for a terrible surprise very soon.

 Such gods drag down their worshippers to a level of senseless stupidity!

 Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

 God does not play around with idol worshippers!

 We must trust in the Lord!

*****Psa 115:9  O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

Psa 115:10  O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. 

Psa 115:11  Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. 

 Trust means we are reliant upon God for all things including life, justice, and our love for one another.

 We do not worship a god we have made, but we worship the God who has made us, our Creator, our Maker!

 There is only one true God.

 There are many today that say all religions worship the same God, but nothing could be further from the truth! They just do not know Jehovah.

 God has revealed Himself to us through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible if you have a true Bible.

 It is true that once we come to know Christ as our Savior, we need to constantly examine our hearts for spiritual idolatry.

 Jehovah is also a jealous God! The lost do what lost people do, but anyone that claims Christ as their Savior and falls into the trap of idolatry could come under the truth of God's jealousy.

 Three times these verses say the word trust.

 1) God is our help and our shield.

 God is safe to depend upon for defense and for offense for all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

 God is also our shield to cover us from danger and to protect us from assault and injury.

 2) For all those who preach the truth of the Scriptures, God is also their help and their shield.

 3) The Lord has had His mind on us since our creation. The remnant of this world who love the salvation gift of God.

 Mat_7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 This one verse should tell all those who think we all worship the same God that it is simply not true. By the way, this was the lord Jesus Himself that was speaking. He knows everything.

 We could look at this passage as God's invitation for Israel to join the Church because it is the Church that God is protecting in this world.

 The battles of Israel will show that only the Church is on their side along with Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Even this week our administration has sent a unit to Israel that can intercept missiles from Iran to try to keep Israel from going after the oil and nuclear sites of Iran.

 This is only bribery when Israel should destroy Iran, and this world would be a little bit better because of it.

 We cannot trust man, but we can trust God to do the right things.

Many scientists and archaeologists wonder what happened to many old civilizations, but they are not around, and many have no history because God knew no one needed to know how wicked they were.

 We should not forget that Iran is that part of old Persia and the other part Iraq is trying its best to get away from the USA and then they will join Iran and Persia will be again and war mongering nation.

 God will only bless those who trust Him!

 You cannot trust idols because they cannot do anything at all!

 The Holy Spirit wants us to grasp the importance of trusting God!

 We will face persecution, but we must not falter in our trust for the Almighty God!

 If we are worried about what is going on in our nation and in this world, then we do not trust the God of all creation and His plan which He has given us a copy of.

 We must have confidence in our Holy God and His Word salvaged by the Holy Spirit and is the truth.

 Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 

Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

 We were once a part of the world but now if you love the Lord Jesus, we are part of Heaven. Ambassadors to this world.

 We are always on the mind of our God!

 *****Psa 115:12  The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. 

Psa 115:13  He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. 

Psa 115:14  The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children. 

Psa 115:15  Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. 

 Who does the Lord bless?

 He blesses those who trust Him!

 Even though Israel does not trust the Son of God, most of them do trust Jehovah (Yahweh).

They reject that they are the same God!

 They are wrong to not accept the Messiah, but they will eventually, at least a remnant of them will.

 We should keep in mind that this Psalm was probably written for the dedication of the Second Temple after the return from Babylon.

 They had been released by the King of Persia who had defeated Babylon.

 We could say that God would bless those who had returned with many children for only about fifty thousand had returned of those who were captured.

 Israel began to see just how great their God is.

 God is always, ALWAYS, working to do good to His people!

 God is always, ALWAYS, mindful of the covenants He has made with all His children!

 God is always, ALWAYS, mindful of the promises He has made, and He will never break a promise He has made to anyone.

 Why is God able to bless so much?

 It is pretty simple, God is our Creator, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and God can do anything He wants to His creation, but He cannot go against His Word!

 Notice that Israel is back in a part of the land God had given to them and God will get the remainder of that land that was promised back to Israel.

 We may be seeing this today, the Lord giving Israel their entire homeland and the world cannot stop it!

 No, there will never be a Palestinian nation within the boundaries of the land God gave to Abraham, the same land God gave to Israel!

 When those who hate God scoff at us, we need to stand firm in our confidence in the Lord.

 We may go through trials.

We may go through persecution.

We may go through attacks.

We may be oppressed.

 God's purpose for us cannot be defeated!

 Nothing can separate us from the love of God!

 Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 *****Psa 115:16  The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. 

 Verse fifteen says it is our LORD who is the Creator of the heavens, and we know of three heavens.

 The first heaven is the space where we get our air to breathe and the place where the birds fly.

The second heaven is what we call outer space, a place where all planets, all stars, and anything we find in outer space, and it is immense.

The third Heaven is the place where God dwells with His angels and all those souls who are in that Heaven today.

 Notice the Earth is mentioned as the only place God has given mankind to live.

 We know the earth is also the Lord’s:

 Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 

 This Psalmist has said that God has given the earth to mankind to live upon.

 Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 

Gen 1:29  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 

Gen 1:30  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 

 God has not given mankind any other planet, moon, or star to live.

 This earth is where we belong, where we live and work and where our future lies unless we believe all these things and our Creator who made all these things, then our future lies in the third Heaven with our God.

 We know that mankind has not cooperated with God on the development of all the resources of this Earth, but they are all gifts from God for our use.

 God has given the occupants of Earth the responsibility of overseeing the resources of Earth.

 This Earth is the only planet that God gave to be inhabited!

 Isa 45:18  For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. 

 We need to be sure to know that God only declares things that are right and not wrong!

 Isa 45:19  I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. 

 The trouble today is that a few greedy people have tried their best to gain control of the earth's resources and for the most part they have, and the governments control the rest.

 But you see God has reconciled the world back to Himself by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

 Now I cannot explain the meaning of all these things, but I know that these words are true.

 Jesus Christ (Messiah) came to this earth to establish the only means of salvation which is available to all people.

 The desire to let the whole redeemed world know of its redemption should move in the heart of every man but the world is tied up with greed for the resources of our planet, corrupt governments, and immorality.

 *****Psa 115:17  The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. 

Psa 115:18  But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.

It should be obvious that those who are dead cannot praise anyone.

When we die our voices are silenced.

In fact, those who are dead lose all communication with the Lord who died for them.

Isa 38:18  For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

I must never forget my job is to praise my Lord.

No matter what I'm going through, I need to praise the Lord, and I know I do not praise Him enough.

Even when the Lost World scoffs at me, I will praise the Lord!

My opportunities to praise the Lord will cease when I take my last breath, but my blessings will continue because I am a child of God!

Psa 118:17  I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. 

Psa 118:18  The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. 

Psa 118:19  Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 

Psa 118:20  This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 

Psa 118:21  I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

Rev 5:13  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 

 Amen

The Lord Jesus never Has to Change Anything He Has Already Said

 Praise and Trust from the Past for Today

 Book of Psalms 108

 When we study the Book of Psalms, we will see that Psalm 108 combines Psalm 57 and Psalm 60 and David is credited for all three of them, even though he was not alive when Psalm 108 was composed.

 David composed Psalm 57 while hiding in a cave from King Saul.

David composed Psalm 60 about his battle with the Edomites.

 We may not know the purpose of this Psalmist in doing this, but we all know that we may remember and sing a song that brought us comfort in our past during our own stress.

 The one thing we can understand is the fact that the Holy Spirit decided that this new psalm should be included in the Book we call the Bible.

 1)We must completely understand that the Word of God is relevant in any age!

 2)The lessons from the Bible are applicable in every situation we may come to in every generation.

 3)The Word of God gives of the wisdom of God so we can make the right decisions.

 4) The Word of God is always fresh and always gives us encouragement to move forward in life.

 Even today the Psalms of David, in fact all the Psalms, bring us to the reality of this wicked and evil world we live in, and the knowledge that we need the Lord Jesus Christ to be in charge of our lives, every day!

 We must ask for God's help in every situation we face if we expect to have triumph in our Christian life!

 Every question we have of God should begin with praise.

 *****Psa 108:1  A Song or Psalm of David. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. 

 Notice that this praise comes from a confident heart.

 God will not take the time to answer any of our requests if we do not have enough faith that He can.

 Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

 Our hearts must be fixed upon the reality of the existence of our Savior!

 Our soul, the one that God has given to us, that is now saved by His power, is the most glorious thing that we have in our relationship with God.

 We must make our flesh understand that it also belongs to God.

 2Co_4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

 We should also understand that the Psalms were intended for the worship service and our praise of the Lord Jesus is designed to be in a public manner.

 Rom_10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

 We should understand that before we offer up our praise, we should have already offered up our prayers.

 When our hearts are affixed to praise the Lord, they will exalt Him to the highest degree.

 *****Psa 108:2  Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

 It is usually the dawn that awakens us, but this psalmist says he will awaken all the instruments that had been silent, and he will awaken the dawn by his praises before daybreak.

 The Lord never sleeps.

 Even when the Lord Jesus was taken off that cross and laid in a borrowed tomb, He was very busy.

 What did Paul say by the Holy Spirit?

 Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

 The Lord Jesus descended into Hell to get the keys that the devil once had.

 Rev_1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

 Our Lord is always busy, so we are foolish to limit the Lord to our hours and days.

 We must praise Him with all that we have, any time of the day or night.

 We can always at any time turn to the Lord for help and most of the time He is as near as opening up our Bibles to see what He has already said because He never changes.

 This is exactly what this psalmist did. He took part of two psalms of David, and he made a new psalm by listening to the Holy Spirit who wrote all the Books of the Bible.

 The same God that led David to victory will lead us to victory!

 *****Psa 108:3  I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

 If we study the Bible, we will realize that there is a new day coming if we trust the Lord and the words, He has given us.

 We must praise the Lord when we are alone.

We must praise the Lord in our congregations.

We must praise the Lord in our cities.

We must praise the lord in our nations.

 Mal 1:11  For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. 

 Instead of a great falling away, we need a regathering of the children of God!

 It is not time to flee from the truth, but to gather together because we have the truth and are not ashamed to say so!

 *****Psa 108:4  For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. 

 You can take the word "mercy" away and substitute "Jesus" to have a better understanding of what mercy truly means.

 Why did the Lord first come to this place called Earth?

 Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 

Luk 1:73  The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 

 Psa 98:3  He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 

Psa 98:4  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. 

 Mercy is compassion for the miserable!

 The object of this world and now the government of our nation, is for us all to live in misery.

I am not going to live in misery!

 The atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is the way to open up the exercise of "mercy" to all mankind.

 It is wicked governments who are trying to stop what they cannot stop.

 They only win when we forsake the Lord!

 Psa 86:14  O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. 

Psa 86:15  But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

 As Christians we can depend upon the "mercy" of God to bring us to victory.

 *****Psa 108:5  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; 

Psa 108:6  That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. 

 Psa 21:13  Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power. 

 The Christian life is a warfare!

 We have to battle our flesh and our own evil tendencies daily.

We have to battle corrupt opinions of us and our practices in society, which is hard to say society today because societies have forsaken all godly principles to live by immorality and corruption and they seem to be proud of it.

We also have to deal with the temptations of the Devil.

 We must be aware that every renewed child of God is assured of ultimate victory in all these conflicts.

 The truth is, we have already won we just do not realize it, which shows a lack of faith on our part.

 The strength of God cannot be overcome, and His plan continues to move according to the things He has directed.

 Once we get to Heaven we may look back and see that all these things had taken place just as God has said they would.

 The Word of God is the truth in this wicked world, and we can lean on this truth while we are praising the One God who has the complete truth.

 We are a delivered people; we just have not arrived at our destination yet.

 If we increase our faith, then there is no reason we cannot enjoy the trip instead of moping around like a bunch of losers.

 My God is powerful, you should check to see if your god is as powerful as mine!

 *****Psa 108:7  God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. 

 It may be that right now God is dividing Shechem.

 It is at Shechem where Jesus Christ had a conversation with a Samaritan woman who was saved and is now in Heaven, her past forgotten.

 God always speaks in His holiness.

 God is holy, entirely set apart from sin and sinners. This is the reason God's Spirit is the Holy Spirit and the third person of the Holy Trinity.

 This also means that the Lord Jesus Christ is Holy because as the Son of God He is part of the Holy Trinity, and we are to defend His holiness.

 We can only become holy when we are set apart from sin and sinners!

 Succoth is the name of the first encampment in the Exodus of God's people from Egypt.

 Succoth is also the place where the brass foundries were located in the building of the first Temple in Jerusalem.

 In fact, every time Succoth is mentioned in the Bible, it is a place where God's people come to victory.

 Jacob had a victory there.

Gideon had a victory there.

 Succoth represents the anticipation of victory, but Succoth also reminds us of worldly success when we might look down upon our enemies as the world does and this goes against the teachings of God.

 Haughtiness is pride mingled with contempt or we could say arrogance.

 We must be aware that we have victory when it comes by the Lord.

 We do not necessarily have the same victory when it comes by our own hands.

 Pro 16:17  The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. 

Pro 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 

Pro 16:19  Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. 

Pro 16:20  He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. 

 What is happening in America today?

 A certain group looks down upon Christians and our cling to freedoms, with heartless contempt and we had better realize it.

 Our vote in this next election is more important than it has ever been, but only if we vote for Christian principles!

 *****Psa 108:8  Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 

Psa 108:9  Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. 

 Gilead is best known as the Hill of Testimony or the Mount of Testimony.

 In reality, this verse and much of this psalm is a song in anticipation of victory.

 Verse 7 says that "God has spoken", in fact, it said "God had spoken in His holiness".

 It can also be read "God has spoken in His sanctuary".

 What God says, is at the same time, what God does!

 We should understand that our Lord had promised all this land to Abraham.

 If the Lord does not fulfill His promise, His name will be profaned.

 God would be a liar, and this is impossible.

 Now we may never understand everything that God says, but we can certainly understand His promises.

 Now to get this clear understanding of God's view of each situation, we must go to where God dwells and He dwells in the sanctuary of the true Church.

 God is nowhere near a place where false teaching occurs, and we need to know this truth.

 It is best to leave any place where the truth of the Gospel, the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ, is not preached.

 There is victory in Jesus, but there is no victory in any false god.

 When we know how God feels about a matter we can know real joy, because God does as He feels.

 The Bible says that Ephraim is the "helmet" or better said "protection".

 Ephraim was sitting on the largest part of the land that was given to Abraham, the Northern part.

 Judah is the "scepter" and the "lawgiver".

 It is from Judah that the law will be taught and enforced during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ and all this land promised to Abraham will be fulfilled.

 God then proclaims that He has ownership of all the territories outside of Israel.

 Moab the washpot. A washpot is a place that serves to clean feet.

 The place of Moses' death, Mount Nebo, at the top of Pisgah, is in the land of Moab.

 Deu 34:5  So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 

Deu 34:6  And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. 

Deu 34:7  And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. 

 We can even see where Moses was a type of Christ Jesus.

 The Holy Spirit also names Philistia by name.

 Philistia was the land of the Philistines.

 This was a very small country from 25 to 30 miles in length with an average width of of about 15 miles.

 Just as Gaza is today there were more people than the land could bear that lived there.

 Today we hear a lot about Palestine, but in truth this was the land of the Philistines.

 There is no such people as Palestinians and never have been such a people!

 These were nations that were hostile to Israel and the people in those locations are still the enemies of Israel.

 At the victory over these enemies, the soldiers of God would take off their shoes, wash their feet in a washbowl, and then throw their shoes at the defeated enemies and proclaim this victory with great rejoicing.

 When the Messiah reigns He will have victory over all God's enemies!

 Isa 11:14  But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 

Isa 11:15  And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 

Isa 11:16  And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

 Then God asks.

 *****Psa 108:10  Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? 

Psa 108:11  Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? 

 When David first wrote this Psalm, he asked who would bring him to this strong city of Edom.

 Petra was truly a fortress.

 Because of its natural location, it was humanly impossible to conquer that city in those days of David.

 David asked; is there anyone who could lead his army to Edom?

 Then David answers his own question.

 It can be none other than God Himself.

 We must understand that God will reject Israel "prophetically" for the short time they under the rule of the Antichrist that is, until the Antichrist decides to sit on the throne of David then all Hell will break loose.

 David could write this passage because of his faith in God.

 It should be clear to all that to overcome the Antichrist, then God would have to stand with Israel once again, and He will!

 All those in distress because of the Antichrist during those seven years of tribulation with the last three and a half years being the Great Tribulation when things will be terrible, there will be a remnant who will call out to God and acknowledge their sins of the past and they will be forgiven.

 Isa 2:22  Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? 

 The Antichrist is but a mere man, "the man of sin" and he is no problem for the the Lord God our Creator.

 Even in a time of peril for Israel, faith is still the key to their success.

 In the Hebrew letter to the Jews, God makes this very clear, but there must be a show of faith!

 Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

 Those who fear God can appeal to no one else in their distress but to God alone.

 You see, if God brings you to it, then God will lead you through it!

 God has led Israel to the distress that they face today, and God will lead them through their distress to the truth!

 When we are in distress about our sin and where we will spend eternity, then there is only one place for us to go and it is to our Holy God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Only God knows which way to go!

 God has given His Word and God will never break His Word!

 *****Psa 108:12  Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 

Psa 108:13  Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. 

God gave us the gift of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ as His promise of salvation!

Only with Him will God's people do valiantly!

It is only Jesus the Messiah who can give us the strength and the courage to fight our daily battles.

Some things we should have learned from this passage, this Psalm are:

1) The Bible is still effective in this world today though it was written ages ago.

2) This passage teaches us that we can always turn to Scripture for help.

3) We can see that God is unchanging, He is always the same.

4) That we can pray and use words that we have used before.

5) We can see that we need to be continuous in our Bible study going over the same passage over and over again to gain understanding.

6) We can look to the past for hope for today!

There is never a time that the Bible will not be relevant to this world!

Amen

There Is Only One True God

 The Power and Wisdom of God

 Book of Psalms Chapter 97

 Today, even in the Bible Belt, you can hardly meet someone on the streets who knows about the Lord Jesus Christ.

 People do not know who God is!

 They think He is just another god along with many other gods. They are so wrong!

 There is not one person except maybe infants and young children who God has not revealed Himself.

Before a person dies, God will have revealed Himself to them so that no one at the White Throne of judgment can use that as an excuse

 We know that God even speaks to babies while they are in the womb.

 Jer 1:4  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 

Jer 1:5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 

Jer 1:6  Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 

Jer 1:7  But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 

 Even John the Baptist knew the Lord Jesus Christ while He was in the womb of his mother.

 Luk 1:41  And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 

Luk 1:42  And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 

Luk 1:43  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

Luk 1:44  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

 This proves that some babies have more wisdom than fully grown men and women, even while they are still in the womb of their mother.

This is why I will never accept that there is a right to abortion.

 The One major truth in our world is, that there is a God and He is our Creator and our Heavenly Father!

 There are not many gods there is only One True God!

 Those who reject God also reject the Word of God.

 The Word of God is just that, the Holy Ghost-inspired Word of God!

 Most people make up their minds about what a God should be like.

 They choose to believe some secular theory or something fabricated in their mind as to the origin of our universe and the origin of life.

 Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

 As you can see God knew all these things would happen.

 Many people deny the Holiness of God while declaring good to be evil and evil to be good.

 God knew these people before they were born just, as He does everyone else.

 Some people believe in God but deny the "judgment" of God.

 Our world is so confused today that some men think God made a mistake and they were supposed to be women, and some women think they were supposed to be men, but they reject that God simply does not make mistakes.

 Across the globe, countless people are trapped in false religions and those who would change are filled with so much fear they live their lives as best they can all their days afraid to speak up.

 This Psalm is an encouragement to all who would truly follow God.

 I send a message today that no matter where you are, if you claim the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and even in secret, pray that sinner’s prayer, He will hear you and He will save you.

 He knows what conditions you are under, and He will not hold that against you.

 My God can save anybody anywhere at any time!

 This Psalm is a big help to you.

 *****Psa 97:1  The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. 

 If we take a logical view of our world, we will see the evidence of our earth and all we can see with our eyes or that new telescope that circles.

 We see that these things exist.

 Because something cannot come from nothing, there must be an original cause that is the reason for the world's existence.

 Because it is evident that these things exist then, there had to be a Creator of these things.

 If you have ever witnessed an accident, you will see that accidents are a cause of destruction and not creation.

 Every effect must have a cause!

 What is the truth? The Lord reigns over all His creations! Jehovah is King, He is the Almighty Ruler of His threefold kingdom.

 Psa 96:11  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 

 The earth is in perfect balance. It has just the right amount of water and the right amount of dirt.

 In fact, we can say that the entire universe is in perfect harmony so there must be a Creator.

 God's harmony is observed throughout this universe!

 The sun is ninety-three million miles from Earth which is exactly where it needs to be for our comfort.

 The temperatures vary from location to location so everyone can find a place where they are comfortable.

 The moon is two hundred and forty thousand miles from Earth to provide tides at the proper level.

 The more we change the moon the more our sea levels will change!

 The earth's tilt provides our four seasons.

 None of these things could have happened by accident!

 Yes, our Lord reigns as King of this earth!

 Psa 8:3  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 

Psa 8:4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

 The naysayers would have you believe that we live in a universe in chaos, but this is not true.

 Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 

Psa 19:2  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 

Psa 19:3  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 

Psa 19:4  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 

 The alternative is that all these things, plus all the other things we can see are no more possible than a monkey being able to create a work of Shakespeare on a typewriter by haphazard play on the keys.

 Yes, the Lord reigns upon this Earth!

 The Earth refers to the continents, all the large land masses. In contrast, with the multitude of isles are the small islands that dot the seas.

 *****Psa 97:2  Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. 

Psa 97:3  A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. 

Psa 97:4  His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. 

Psa 97:5  The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 

Psa 97:6  The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

 Heaven, where God's throne is located,  veiled in clouds and darkness says to us that God reigns above human sight and understanding.

 God must remain in these clouds of darkness because there is a need for God to conceal His radiant glory of His holiness that would destroy us instantly.

 God is the "Judge" of this Earth and He always, ALWAYS does what is right!

 Fire is a symbol of God's judgment!

 It is a fire that will consume all the enemies of God!

 Psa 21:8  Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 

Psa 21:9  Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. 

 God bears witness to His holiness and justice through the forces of nature!

 Lightning, strong storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions with the earth melting like wax, all remind us of God's tremendous power. 

Nature is also a creation of God.

 2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

 Everything in God's creation will bear witness to His holiness.

 We are to bear the truth that God reigns over all His creations, regardless of what the world says. 

The world is full of lies and liars.

 The Lord reigns over all the things that are going on around us.

 The Lord reigns over all the unbelief and lawlessness which is in our societies.

 The Lord reigns over all things that we are forced to endure.

 The Lord reigns and there is nothing this world can do about it, except to turn to Him in repentance!

 2Th 1:6  Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 

2Th 1:7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 

2Th 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

2Th 1:9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 

2Th 1:10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. 

 All those who worship false gods will become perplexed because they have been told a lie!

 The Heavens truly do declare the righteousness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah!

 *****Psa 97:7  Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. 

 When we mock and reject the Words of the One True God Jehovah then, we think we have become gods ourselves!

 We are not so dumb to not know that there are certain people who worship the idol of printed money and the idol of gold who are actually pulling the strings in America and most other countries in this world.

 They know which way to go to get more money printed which makes them richer and which way to go to get gold more valuable to make them richer and this little game they play is done over and over again.

 There is no regard for the people who work who actually pay the taxes.

 This little game will break out into war when those who are not so rich but are considered to be rich have to keep paying more and more of the taxes and they will rebel.

 It is the same for climate change. There are fifty-seven companies in this world that cause eighty percent of the pollution in this world and no one will talk to them about pollution and the carbon monoxide that is emitted by their companies.

 It is not even mentioned, or it would make them mad and governments just keep allowing it to take place.

 To these companies, money and gold are their gods!

 They may boast about their riches, but one day soon they will see their gods destroyed and they will be confounded.

 They are not the gods they think of themselves, but are only sinners in need of a Savior yet, they will never call on Him.

 They are like that Egyptian Pharaoh who thought he could defeat God but only perished in the Red Sea.

 Their idols are worthless!

 Isa 42:17  They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

 The Lord always knows what is going on!

 Isa 52:5  Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 

Isa 52:6  Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. 

Isa 52:7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

 It is not long before these who have made themselves gods will meet the only true God.

 Isa 52:10  The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 

 God will judge this world, and this judgment is not that far off!

 *****Psa 97:8  Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. 

Psa 97:9  For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. 

 When the Lord returns to this earth the Rapture of the Church will have already taken place and the Church will return with the Lord in glorified bodies following the King of Zion, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 It is at this time that the daughters of Judah will rejoice because the Antichrist will have been defeated and Israel will have turned to the Lord in shame because it has taken them so long to do so.

 There is so much difference between the Divine Power of God and the supposed power of the rich who have followed the Antichrist, that even they will fall in shame recognizing the power of Jehovah the triune God.

 All evildoers will be judged this day, but this is not the White Throne judgment, for the Lord Jesus will rule this earth from Zion for one thousand years.

 Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 

Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 Because the Lord humbled Himself in humiliation and obedience to Jehovah, He has been exalted by His Father and given a name which is above every name and made Him King of kings and Lord of lords, superior majesty above every creature.

 This wicked world or what is left of it, will bow at the feet of Jesus!

 Then the Lord will remake this earth.

 The Lord Jesus will continue keeping all His promises to those who love Him.

 These will be those who have survived the seven years of the Tribulation years, the last three and one-half years known as the Great Tribulation.

 The Church will be with Him, but the Church was not the object of God's wrath but already glorified!

 *****Psa 97:10  Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 

 How do we know real love?

 If I love Jesus Christ, I will love all His people!

If I love Jesus Christ, I will love everything that He loves!

If I love Jesus Christ, I will hate what He hates which is sin!

 There is no small sin or large sin, there is only sin!

 If we love the Lord, we will hate evil!

 Psa 45:7  Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

 It is evil that separates us from our Loving God.

 It is because of evil that the wicked will be destroyed.

 It is because we do not love the Lord Jesus Christ that we are subject to the assaults of Satan!

 God watches tenderly over the souls of His saints at all times and preserves us by keeping us from destruction.

 The Lord Jesus Christ will certainly deliver us out of the hands of the wicked!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is that Light that outshines the darkness of this wicked world we live in.

 *****Psa 97:11  Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 

 Light is sown for the righteous!

 Psa 112:4  Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 

 That Light is the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Jhn_8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 Jhn_9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

 People just love darkness far too much!

 Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

 Because the Lord loves us, He will deliver us from evil!

Because the Lord loves us, He will preserve our souls on this earth till He finally takes us home where we are preserved forever and ever.

Because the Lord loves us, He will deliver us out of the hands of the wicked!

*****Psa 97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 

Psa 97:12  Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 

We know that the Light of Jesus is the Word of God!

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

It is the Word of God that lights our path to righteousness!

Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

The Lord Jesus is that true Light who leads us to that path of salvation.

Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

There is no other pathway to Heaven!

Amen